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Will C Josh Kaltenberger be ready for full-game duty?

On3 imageby:Tom Dienhart•11/23/22•

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Josh Kaltenberger
Josh Kaltenberger Purdue

Gus Hartwig was on the ground. Trainers gathered around the Purdue center, who was helped off the field last Saturday. It didn’t look good. And, it wasn’t. Hartwig was hurt … badly.

“Gus suffered a substantial injury,” said Jeff Brohm. “Be in a cast on his lower extremity for the next couple weeks and have surgery and be out for an extended period. So, we appreciate all the great play he’s given us to this point and all the hard work, because he has played through a lot of other injuries, as well.”

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Hartwig suffered what’s believed to be a knee injury in Purdue’s 17-9 win vs. Northwestern. He was a workhorse who will be missed, having played a team-high 809 of a possible 875 offensive snaps this season.

“He was a leader of our offensive line, a great snapper, smart, tough, and in-state recruit (Zionsville High) that came and wanted to make a difference,” said Brohm. “Unfortunately, he got rolled up during the game and got injured.

“So, we’ll get him back healthy, but it will take quite a bit of time.”

The junior has been a steady force on the interior of a line that has more than held its own this season in helping the Boilermakers rank No. 10 in the Big Ten in rushing (128.4 ypg), the program’s best rushing average since 2018 (136.4 ypg).

Hartwig is the third Purdue offensive lineman to suffer a season-ending injury, joining tackles Daniel Johnson (knee) and Cam Craig (back). A thin unit is now even thinner.

Now, what?

Purdue will turn to Josh Kaltenberger to snap in Hartwig’s absence, beginning when Purdue (7-4 overall; 5-3 Big Ten) plays at Indiana (4-7; 2-6) on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET.

“He came in and played,” said Brohm. “He’s our best snapper. He’s just got to continue to improve and get better at the position.

“And then (No. 1 left guard) Spencer (Holstege) will back him up, and also Malachi (Preciado), a true freshman who has been traveling with us to all the games, will be ready to go. So, we’ll have the ability to use any of those three.”

Kaltenberger came on last week after Hartwig went down, playing 36 snaps.

“He stepped in in a critical situation and did an admirable job,” said Brohm. “I think he’ll continue to improve. He knows we need him. He’s got to get it done for us. I think he’ll take pride in that. He’s been a great teammate and he fits in well.”

The 6-6, 305-pound Kaltenberger has played in each game this season on special teams, but the only other offensive snaps the redshirt sophomore has played in 2022 were vs. Indiana State in the second game of the season (19). Now, he’ll make the first start of his career.

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What does Brohm remember about Kaltenberger as a recruit from Seneca Valley High in Cranberry Township, Pa.?

“Well, Josh is from Pennsylvania and came to our camp,” said Brohm. “You know, he looks the part. Got really good size. Actually strong in the weight room. Great young man. Comes from a good family.

“You know, what you weren’t sure of was maybe how great of an athlete is he going to be and the potential that he has, but he’s smart. He can really snap the football effectively, which is very important. We want to continue to see him get better at playing fast, making calls, reacting to movement up front.”

Lineman offensive snaps

Pos. PlayerOffensive snaps played in 2022
C Gus Hartwig809 of 875 offensive snaps
T Eric Miller760
G Spencer Holstege756
T Mahamane Moussa650
G Marcus Mbow579
G Sione Finau427
T Daniel Johnson213
T Cam Craig112
Purdue linemen who have played over 100 offensive snaps in 2022; Hartwig, Johnson and Craig all have suffered season-ending injuries.

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